


Keith's Worst Nightmare

by Klanceisunoriginal



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Lance, Female pronouns for Pidge, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Hunk x Shay - Freeform, Keith has a panic attack, Keith x Lance - Freeform, M/M, Panic Attacks, Shiro needs a break, Space Dad, domestic in space, keith has a nightmare, keith is gay, klance, klangst, my bois need a break, space parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 17:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12325695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klanceisunoriginal/pseuds/Klanceisunoriginal
Summary: I've been vulnerable ever since Shiro left. I keep waking up to panic attacks after a nightmare. Lance is always there for me. Then when Shiro appears again, I notice that there's something different. My teammates don't believe me. Am I just being paranoid? Is there actually something up with Shiro?Aka I suck at summaries(POV Keith) (Posted originally on Fanfiction.net)





	1. The Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that I've been thinking about a lot, idk... (this is not a oneshot, there are multiple chapters!)
> 
> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wake up to Lance's arms around me. My throat feels like it is closing. Lance's arms are way too tight, constructing my breath. I'm in a cold sweat. Tears had welled up in my eyes long before I was awake, but now, said tears are running down my face as a choked sob leaves my throat.

_Shiro sat in front of me, mere inches away, but I couldn't touch him. I couldn't smell him. I couldn't hear him. I only saw. I only watched. His face was pressed up against the non-existent glass. His fist pounded on the barrier. This was the time that I truly studied his face._

_He had a very square jawline, chiseled into perfection. His eyes were small, but his eyeliner was perfect. I could go on and on about his eyeliner, how I watched him do it once, and it was the most amazing thing to watch. He lined his lash line, then with a mere flick of the wrist, he was done. His eyeliner was sharp enough to kill a man. His large nose was halfway obscured by the strangely symmetrical scar, starting at his cheekbone, widening at the nose, then tapering off at the other side. He had thin lips that were almost always chapped. His hair was one of the most prominent features. For being in space for so long, he was really keeping up with the trends on Earth. He had the sides of his head shaved, then short, but not buzzed hair on top. Partially covering his forehead was a stark white poof of hair, something that he loved dearly in his heart._

_My eyes wandered down to his muscles, and how they stretched his shirt. He continued pounding away at the barrier, but suddenly disappeared, as was the non-existent glass. I gasped, my lip quivering. My brother. Is gone_

I wake up to Lance's arms around me. My throat feels like it is closing. Lance's arms are way too tight, constructing my breath. I'm in a cold sweat. Tears had welled up in my eyes long before I was awake, but now, said tears are running down my face as a choked sob leaves my throat. I've had this nightmare many times, but this time, it was so realistic. The first time I had this dream was when Shiro "died" on the Kerberos mission, but ever since he disappeared the second time, the dreams have been getting worse. I feel Lance sit up beside me, I feel his hands on my skin. I can't breathe. The room is spinning. I'm gasping for air. Then suddenly, the floor, the bed, the room, even Lance is gone. I'm falling through hazy darkness. I yell. I can't feel the warmth of Lance's body, I can't hear him, I need to save him from this hell. "Lance!" I can't have him disappear like Shiro did.

_Lance smiles at me flirtily. He's been trying to bug me all day, using his pickup lines. I turn around to where he's chattering away behind me, grab his shirt, and pull him in, smashing my lips against his. He gasps into my lips, and I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. At first he's hesitant, but then he kisses back with full force. I pull away first, walking towards my room, face bright red and heated. I leave Lance in my dust, stuttering and blushing. I didn't talk to him for a week, but he cornered me and forced me to talk. That's when we got together. You'd think he's the clingy one, but I swear, once someone tells me they love me, I'm on top of them the entire time. I don't even know how long we've been dating, but all I know is I'm never letting him go. If he were to leave, I wouldn't be able to go on. I'm too attached._

Shit. Why am I thinking about this now?

_I'm laying on my bed in my barracks back on Earth, watching TV. Shiro's face pops up on the news, and the newscaster says something that I can't even understand. I'm too busy wiping away tears at his first words. "The members of the Kerberos mission are presumed dead." My breathing gets ragged. My brother? Dead? No. No, it can't be. I drop out of the Garrison and move out to the desert, where I start studying an energy source. Then suddenly, Shiro is back, and honestly, I can't think. Everyone is at my house, and we're all going out to find this...this blue lion. The year without Shiro is the hardest I've ever had to endure._

Wait. Why this memory?

_Now I'm in the black lion, gaping at the empty seat. He's gone again. How? Why? Next thing I know, I'm kneeling on the floor, emptying my stomach through the tears. Pidge is being held by a sobbing Hunk. Lance is holding my hair back as I heave. Silent tears are running down his face. Allura is crying into Coran's shoulder, making tiny whimpers. Coran is patting Allura on the back, shakily breathing. How could he have left me again? I can't go through this torment again._

"Keith, baby, it's okay. Breathe with me. Shh," A familiar voice says.

Color starts to come back, as do my other senses. I take a shaky breath, and I'm surprised to find air flowing into my welcoming lungs. I take note of my surroundings, focusing on each sense for 10 seconds. It smells of sweat, citrus, and sugar. I feel a warm hand rubbing my shirtless, sweat-covered back. I taste the salty tears and the bile that had risen in my throat. I see our shared bedroom, slightly messy, but homey. I hear Lance's voice singing a soft song... my favorite song.

_I'm waiting for this cough syrup_  
_to come down, come down._  
_Life's too short to even care at all, woah_  
_I'm coming up now, coming up now_  
_Out of the blue, woah._  
_These zombies in the park they're looking for my heart, woah  
_ _A dark world aches for a splash in the sun, woah_

I cough, making him stop abruptly. "Keith, how are you? Are you okay?" He whispers, his hand pausing for a moment before continuing. I shake my head no, then continue trying to catch my breath. He starts singing again, slightly off-pitch. Lance was never the singer of the group. I remember once, I was singing to Red and he caught me. He fawned over my "smooth as hell" voice for days. He hands me a glass of water while he sings, and I gratefully drink all of it, shuddering at the feeling of the cold water going down my esophagus.

_If I could find a way to see this straight I'd run away  
_ _To some fortune that I, I should have found by now  
_ _I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down_.

I listen to the lyrics, smiling slightly. He knows I love this song. When he finishes, I'm almost fully calm. His hand still slowly massages my back, and he plants a kiss on my head, using his free hand to hold mine. "Are you okay?" he asks again, softly. This time, I clear my throat and say "Yeah, just had a bad dream, no biggie." I'm very obviously lying; I'm shaking and exhausted, eyelids drooping, but, he didn't quite pick up on it. Lance is confused. "No big- You just had a panic attack!" I shrug blowing it off as nothing, even though it took a huge toll on my body. He sighs, dropping both of my hands. I grin.

I lay my head back down, curling into his warm body. "I love you," he whispers.

"I love you too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the updated chapter 1 that I've worked so diligently on. I'm also fixing chapters 2 and 3, and they will be out before the week is over!
> 
> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	2. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be using Altean time so here's a cheat sheet:
> 
> Ticks - seconds  
> Dobashes - minutes  
> Vargas - hours  
> Quintents - Days
> 
> Ok here's a chappie two!

A week after my panic attack, we're flying through the vast darkness that is our new home when some coordinates are picked up by the castle. My eyes widen with something between fear and excitement, knowing that this is it. I don't know what I'm expecting, but it's certainly not what we find. Allura steers the castle-ship towards the steadily moving coordinates, and I sprint towards the Black Lion, heading out to meet my brother. Everything is moving so fast.  _I'm finally going to see him again._ I can't think, only move, and before I know it, I'm blasting out of my hangar, flying ahead of the ship. I see it first, a small Galra fighter that looks like it's losing power... and fast. It doesn't seem to try to come after me, so I move forward, faster than before. It's him. It's Shiro. He's unconscious, though after a quick scan for biorhythms, I know that he's alive. The castle-ship projects its tractor beam, sucking Shiro in. I follow close behind, putting Black back in her hangar before sprinting unceremoniously through the castle 'till I reach the docking station. The team is there before me, opening the small battleship. Shiro is slumped in the pilot seat, and man, is he a mess.

He has long, matted hair, a torn suit, and he has a bandaged leg. Oh man, this isn't good. He doesn't look like he has any new scars, at least. His familiar eyeliner is gone, though that's no surprise. His breathing is shallow, and his eyelids are twitching as if hes having a bad dream. Despite my teammates' cries of "No! Give him space!" and "Keith, stay back!", I make a beeline for my brother. His eyes flutter open, scanning my face. Upon registering my presence, his face stretches into a pained, yet loving smile. "Keith," he whispers. I shush him, helping him to his feet. He has a limp, and according to Coran, he'll have to spend several days in the healing pod. Honestly, I don't know if I can wait that long to see him, to actually talk to him again. I help him to the pods, where he stumbles into one with a great amount of difficulty. This us gonna take a while.

The week where Shiro is here but not  _here_  is one of the hardest I've ever had to endure. It's almost as bad as when Lance had to be in there. I shudder at the thought. Everyone is really helpful and kind to me, even more so than usual. They all know how difficult it is, especially Pidge. Once the pod opens, though, I'm right there with him. Hunk quickly brings in a plate of food goo, and insists upon feeding a thoroughly disgusted Shiro. Wait. What? The look on his face is one of pure disgust at the thought of Hunk feeding him like a child. He greedily swipes the plate of steaming goo from a disappointed Hunk, turns around, and shovels spoonfuls of the green substance into his mouth. This clearly startles and puzzles me. He doesn't normally act like this. Being the clingy brother that I am, I attempt to stick by his side for the whole day, but as we arrive at his bedroom, he pushes me away. "Keith, I just need some time, ok? I'll see you at dinner."

On my way to the training deck, I get stopped by an overly excited Pidge. "Will you tell Shiro that we're having a party for him after dinner in the lounge?" She asks, bouncing happily on her toes. "Uh, I actually was just in his room. He wanted me to leave him alone for a bit, so I'm heading to the training deck. Maybe he'll listen to you?" I ask, and with every word, I feel more and more like something is off with Shiro. I can't quite put my finger on it... He's just different. Pidge nods, running off in the direction where I just came.

Dinner was eventful. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were so excited to have a space party and show the Alteans how humans have fun. I, on the other hand, am occupied with many thoughts. Shiro is quiet for most of the time, just listening to our teammates' chatter. Allura and Coran are talking about getting some Numvil to bring. I don't eat anything, I just play with the florescent green goop covering my plate. I think about Shiro, and all the good times we had. Smiling slightly, I steal a glance at him. I've missed my brother so much, and to have him back is a dream come true. Though all of the good memories also bring back memories of his mannerisms. He just doesn't seem the same. For now, I'm going to blame it on his imprisonment, but if he doesn't shape up soon, I'm going to be suspicious. The party starts twenty minutes after dinner, Hunk informs us, and with that, Shiro stands up, leaving his plate, and walks in the direction of his room. I squint at him. Does anyone else notice how strange he's been acting?

 

* * *

The 6 of us wait in the lounge for 30 minutes until I stand up angrily. Hunk looks on the verge of tears that Shiro hasn't shown up, and Pidge looks downright depressed. I give one backward glance before storming out of the room, my feet guiding me towards Shiro's room. I would say that I'm moving at a swift pace, but swift doesn't even begin to describe how quickly I'm walking. I'm running down the long corridors like a Galra ship jumping into hyper-speed. Normally, I wouldn't blame him for calling it an early night, but under these circumstances, I'm pissed as hell and ready to yell. I make a right turn at the end of the hall, bee-lining for his door. I pound my fist against the cold metal three times, then six, then nine. He's not there. I usually respect his privacy, but tonight, I'm throwing caution to the wind. I enter the pin number that opens the door, only to find a complete mess. This adds evidence that this isn't the Shiro I know. His room is always completely pristine. He can't deal with a messy room. I make a mental note to write all of this down as I practically sprint out of the door.

The only other place I can think of that he'd be is the training deck. With renowned speed, my feet guide me to the door of the deck. I hear groans as Shiro's metal hand slices through the gladiator. Ever since he came back, he's been spending a lot of time in the training deck. Even more than me. That's one way I knew that he is here. Just before he can start the next level, I enter the room, anger evident on my face. "Oh hey, Keith!" He says, smiling at me. "What the hell are you doing here?" I ask, my tone contradicting my obviously pissed off mood. "Uh, training. Why, what's wrong?" He replies without missing a beat. My fists clench and unclench repeatedly. "You made Hunk cry. You're not at your own goddamn party, Shiro. Why the fuck aren't you there?" The anger in my voice is way more evident now. "Shit! How could I forget?" He says nonchalantly. "Go now. I'll be there in 5."

I look up to see his face. He's hurt. Maybe I took it too far. I'm thinking about apologizing, but instead, he turns and leaves without another word. I sit down and take deep breaths. It's not just me, is it? Have the others noticed his... difference? Surely they have, it's written all over his personality.

After about 3 dobashes, I leave the training deck. The lights flicker off behind me. I feel bad about leaving the party, but I need to figure out what's going on. In the meantime, I'll go back to the lounge area, and I'll have a good time, but after that my focus is on Shiro.

I navigate the halls with ease, moving slower than when I originally came down them. When I walk in the door, I'm met with two, no, three hugs. I step backward as to catch myself from falling, and greet the three people. I glance over, Shiro is sitting there awkwardly. Feeling the warmth of the hugs leave, I walk to a couch to sit. I smile as Pidge jumps up and yells "Let's Party!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	3. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The room is filled with the buzz of chatter and laughter between the seven of us. It smells of numvil and regrets."

The room is filled with the buzz of chatter and laughter between the seven of us. It smells of numvil and regrets. Though Shiro seems kinda out of it, he's really making an effort to fit in normally again. Maybe I was wrong about him, maybe he's just in shock about what happened. I need to stop being so hard on him. In the meantime, I'll loosen up, have some numvil, dance with Lance. I join the circle of people and stand next to my boyfriend, who wraps his arm around me. Allura is telling a story about when she was a kid, she would want to wear the same dress every day, and when she couldn't, she'd throw the worst temper tantrums.

He's my brother, I shouldn't be mad at him, but he disappeared, made me pilot the black lion, then came back, completely different. He's treating us like we're just strangers, and it makes me so angry. I'm distracted from my thoughts as Lance starts to dance. The song that's playing is "Come Get Her" by Rae Stremmard. He starts with a slight sway, then, he uses his beautiful hips, making figure-8 motions. As the bass drops, he does the same. He runs his hands over his body, then sticks his ass out and twerks. I blush. Oh god, I'm so gay, and he likes it. His hips are intoxicating, they have more of an effect of me than the Numvil. I stare at him. He's so beautiful. His hips tell me that he's obviously had dance training. This isn't the first time that I've seen him dance, and I know all too well how he can move his hips, but damn... I can tell he's watching me out of the corner of his eye, seeing how I react. He runs his hands through his hair, then raises them above his head sexily. I cant take it anymore. I walk over to him, put my hands on his waist, plant a kiss on his neck, and...

A choked laugh forces its way out of him as my fingers basically vibrate on his sides. He lets out an alarmingly loud laugh, alerting everyone in the room. All eyes turn to Lance, who was being previously ignored by everyone but me. By now, my beautiful boyfriend has collapsed on the floor in a laughing fit while I continue tickling him. "S-stop I c-aHAHA-can't brea-hahaha-breathe. AHAHA." "That's what you get for being a slut, Lance," Pidge calls out, but instead of laughter, she's met with a horrified glare from Shiro. "Language, Pidge." She sighs in exasperation. Lance knows that the moment is ruined. He knows that I won. I know he's gonna get me back for it. After Lance's sudden outburst, everyone is slightly on edge. I honestly find it extremely funny. As the night wears on, I drink more and more Numvil. Like Coran says, it's an acquired taste, one that I enjoy now that I've gotten used to it. Said drink is starting to get to me. I can feel my face is flushed slightly. I have to stop drinking. Lance groans when I leave the room to go get a water pouch, but I tell him it has to be done.

I'm mostly sober when Hunk brings out the cake. I honestly have no idea how he got the ingredients to make it, but just looking at it makes my mouth water. The two tiered cake has a slightly matte finish, which adds more wonder the the perfect creation. The bottom is black with little white dots, presumably stars, and a lion head. The top is purple with "Welcome Home Shiro!" written in Allura's perfect script. There are some black and white sprinkles, placed strategically over the whole cake, giving it an added 'wow' factor. "Wow, Hunk. This is just, wow! Thank you," Shiro says, eyes wide in amazement. Hunk is a blessing from god himself. I pull him in for a hug. "Dude, your skills are crazy," I say happily. He grins wide, happy for the attention.

The beauty of the cake only lasts long enough for Pidge to take a picture of it, then, with tears in his eyes, Hunk cuts perfect slices for everyone. The deliciousness distracts me from my conspiracy for a little while, but as soon as I'm finished with my third piece, I'm back to it. I've made a mental list of all the things that Shiro has done differently in just this week alone. It's wild how many things there are. I have to share this information with my teammates without Shiro knowing.

By the end of the party, I'm sitting in between Lance's legs, and he's playing with my hair. Shiro decides to call it a night, and I tell Lance that we should do the same... only not the same. "Lance, pretend that I'm drunk and I'm dragging you back to our room to have sex. Make it believable. Go tell the others, not Shiro, to meet us in the dining hall in one varga. Got it?" He nods, then gets up, walking to the circle of people. Though he speaks quietly, I hear him say "Pretend I'm telling a joke." As he tells our teammates to meet us, I rehearse what I'm going to say in my head. It's not until Lance is standing in front of me that I come out of my mind palace. The act is on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	4. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the party, I'm holding a meeting that doesn't quite go to plan. At least I can rant to Red and Lance...... wait... where's Lance?

"Goodnight, Shiro!" I call out, dragging Lance behind me. There had been a... small change of plans.

"Lance, I'm drunk on Numvil. I'm dragging you back to my room. Got it?" I purred in his ear, acting. He smirked, then nodded.

So now I'm stumbling down the hallway with Lance in tow. "Be safe!" Shiro calls after us. I smirk pulling Lance into my room and slamming him against my wall, entwining our tongues in a passionate kiss. Shiro's room is on the other side of the hall, so we have to act. "You did so good, thank you, baby," I whisper, "But we can't right now, just pretend." Of course, he's disappointed. For the next varga, we pretend to have sex, letting out loud moans now and again.

Now, we've got to sneak out. The doors here are quiet other than the swish against the floor, so it's pretty easy to quietly slip out. "Take your shoes off," Lance says, slipping his shoes off. "No way! I don't want your foot stench all over my room!" I whisper-shout at him. "LIsten to me, we'll be quieter in socks. I don't have any clue why you don't want anyone to know, but this is the way." I sigh, knowing he's right, and take my shoes off.

We slip down the hallway, peeking out from behind walls to check if someone is about, someone being Shiro. We successfully make it to the dining hall, where Allura is waiting. I lead Lance to the table where we sit in our normal spots. Hunk walks in shortly after us, tiredness apparent on his face. "What's up, you guys? It's late, why are we here?" He asks, taking a seat at the table. Pidge then appears, as energetic as ever. I stand as Pidge sits, my nerves overwhelming. "Thank you all for coming. I know it's late and we all want to go to bed, but I have a question for you. Well, it's more of a statement, really... I don't think that's the real Shiro." Everyone in the room gasps. "Keith, why would yo-" Hunk says, but I cut him off. "He's acting different now that he's back, and it worries me. This isn't the Shiro we know. He's wrong, he's... this isn't my brother. The Shiro we know is kind, understanding. He is always worried about us. He seems like he cares," tears push their way to my eyes, but I won't let them fall. "This Shiro is different. Our Shiro wouldn't leave me alone when I confront him," I pause, open my mouth to say something, then shut it again.

Allura looks scared, Hunk appalled, Pidge hurt, and Lance looked almost indifferent. "Keith, I can't believe you would say something like that. Every person here would think that you of all people would be glad that Shiro is back. He's very obviously off, but it's because he got taken by the Galra again! You can't expect him to be right as rain after enduring what he has, You're so thick-headed, Keith. We're all worried about him. He needs a while to get back into the swing of things," Pidge says angrily. I had sat down while she talked, gaping at her words. "I- does anyone else think this?" I ask, quiet. Nods all across the board. I sigh, visibly shaking, "So be it," I say, then I exit the room. There's one person I can talk to when I'm upset. She always listens. She understands. I mindlessly navigate the halls, feet finding the door.

"Hey Red," I say as I enter the room. She nuzzles my mind, like an attention-seeking cat. I feel her comfort and condolences as she hears my scattered thoughts. "Red, they don't get it. They won't listen to what I say. I know that's not our Shiro, I just know it. He's different. It's not okay, he's not okay. No one believes me! They all think it's just the Galra, but I know it can't be that. The first time he was taken, I was devestated, and it's true, when he came back, he had changed, but never this drastically. All that changed last time was his appearance, and of course his PTSD, but now, his entire attitude toward all of has changed. He treats us like children. This isn't Shiro. You can feel it, right?" I'm rambling on and on about the same stuff. Red stays with me, comforts me, agrees with me. I wish my team was like Red. I wish they could console me, listen to me, I wish they wouldn't jump to conclusions.

Suddenly, I'm filled with an overpowering anger. Red feels it and puts her particle barrier up. The barrier meets my fists with loud thumps as I hit it over and over. I fall to the ground, reminded of my dream. Only this time, it's not Shiro who's pounding on the barrier, it's Lance. I lurch out, grasping for him. He's screaming and tears are pouring down his face as his fist collides with the barrier again. I see his lips, his perfect, soft, beautiful lips. I'm reminded of how sweet they are, how he uses them with ease. "No," I think, heart pounding with the fear of what will happen next. I hear his muffled screams, his sobs... then silence.

I'm afraid to look up. When I look up, he'll be gone. I need to stay here in my blissful ignorance, staring at the ground. A sob rips its way through me, and suddenly I'm heaving. My entire body shakes as I empty my stomach on the floor. I can't feel Red anymore. Lance is gone, he's not here, he's... Is he here? I scream out for him, terrified, choking on my sobs. I try to stand up, but I fall, crumpling into a sobbing, tired heap. I call out again. Several dobashes pass. When air is entering my lungs at a fairly normal pace, I stand. Yelling for Lance, I stumble to the door, only to find Allura. "Where... W-where is Lance?" I stutter, gasping wildly for air. She looks taken aback, but points toward Lance's room. My room. Our room. I shove myself down the hallway, using only the walls as guidance. My breathing becomes ragged once more, as dark thoughts enter my mind. He's not going to be there. He's gone. H-shit-he's not here. I find the door, then fall through as it opens automatically. It's my worst nightmare confirmed.

The bed is empty.

He's not here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	5. The Rebels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He presses his lips to mine. As our lips meet, my anxiety evaporates with the steam, and I'm filled with elation. I know that he is here and he isn't going to leave. I feel his love, his worry, his consolation, all of his emotions being projected onto me. He is radiating happiness. My eyes flutter shut, and I slide arms around his neck. He's holding my jaw between his soft, feminine hands. I can feel each individual heartbeat of his. His heart is beating in time with mine. He breath hits my face, and it's all real. He's here, in my shower, kissing me, holding me, loving me. It's a small gesture, but it is the most consoling thing that I've ever known."

Here I am, sitting in our room, screaming and sobbing. I yell his name with every breath. I curl up in a ball of the floor, the air thick. Suddenly, the door opens. "Keith" Lance's voice fills my ears, a warm flood of relief rushing over my body. "L-Lance!" I yell, stumbling upward to throw arms around him. "Keith, what's wrong?" He asks, concern obvious in his voice. I say nothing, just hug him, and cry. Cry a lot. His shock wears off. He puts one arm around my upper back, and the other he runs through my hair, shushing me softly. I whimper, head pressed tightly on his chest, both my arms wrapped around his waist. "L-Lance, you we-were g- You were gone," I sob, feeling sick. "Keith, shhhh, it's okay. Everything's okay. I'm here, see?" He whispers, kissing my head. We stay like that for what seems like hours.

When I calm down, Lance asks me what happened. I tell him, my voice shaky. I end up throwing up again, turning my torso away from Lance as I empty the contents of my stomach on the bedroom floor. He holds my hair back, muttering quietly about how greasy it is, but I have little time to think of that right now.

"Go get a shower," he says after cleaning up my mess. I can't leave him, though, for fear that he'll dissapear again. I refuse to do anything unless Lance is there with me. So we walk to the showers, my hand gripping his tightly. He winces in pain, but he knows that I need him. We walk in silence, save for our off-beat footsteps. I don't really even realize how late it is, until we reach the bathroom, where there's a clock sitting on the sink. "4:19 AM," it reads. I turn away from the clock and start undressing.

The showers are automatic. As soon as you step in, you say your name, and the shower is preprogrammed to set the heat and pressure to your preference. You can add as many people as you need to. The two of us step out of our clothes and stand in front of the shower head. "Klance," Lance says, holding my cold, weak body against his. It's actually quite a story about how we came up with that name. Soon before we started dating, Pidge kept saying "Klance is canon," at us. Of course, Lance was oblivious for a few days, but realized what it meant... at dinner, no less. Needless to say, he had to excuse himself to calm down for a few minutes. So we use that name for when we shower together now. I remember the last time we were in this shower together. Let's say that things got a little... steamy. Hot water pours out of the shower head, not long after Lance says the simple word. The hot droplets tingle as they dance on my skin, dripping down the the floor. I let out a shaky sigh, thouroughly exhausted with the events of 5 minutes ago. Lance starts to clean me, rubbing his smooth hands all over my body. It's not as sexual as it sounds, but it's nice. He squeezes a dime-sized circle of his shower gel onto his palm and proceeds to rub it on my sweat-covered chest. I fully expect his slick skin to dissapear, his warmth to vanish. But it doesn't. He's here, humming softly, his hands caressing my shaky form like a mother washing her newborn. I hate being anxious in front of him. I hate being anxious in general. I'm still shaking as I let out a soft "Thank you." He presses his lips to mine. As our lips meet, my anxiety evaporates with the steam, and I'm filled with elation. I know that he is here and he isn't going to leave. I feel his love, his worry, his consolation, all of his emotions being projected onto me. He is radiating happiness. My eyes flutter shut, and I slide arms around his neck. He's holding my jaw between his soft, feminine hands. I can feel each individual heartbeat of his. His heart is beating in time with mine. He breath hits my face, and it's all real. He's here, in my shower, kissing me, holding me, loving me. It's a small gesture, but it is the most consoling thing that I've ever known.

After our shower, we head back to our room, abandoning all hope of sleep. Lance leads the way, lacing his fingers with mine so that he can pull me through the echoing halls of the castle. As the door opens, the scent of bleach wafts it's way to my nose, which I scrunch immediately. "I think you went a little overboard," I say, sitting on the bare mattress. "First of all, I hate puke, you know that. Second, next time you panic so hard you through up, you can clean it yourself," mock anger resides in his voice. I stick my tongue out tiredly, then lay back in the twin-sized bed. "There's no sheets. Come be my blanket," I yawn, curling toward the wall. He slides into bed beside me. I lift my head up so he can put his arm under it, and he wraps his other arm around my waist. I greet sleep with a content sound. The last thing I know is a kiss on the top of my head.

My sleep lasted maybe ten minutes before Pidge barged through the door, yelling something about a group of rebels that they had found. I let out an intense groan, rolling on top of Lance as to wake him up. He shoves me into the floor, refusing to get up. Pidge and I drag him out of bed, and he's groaning and yelling the whole time. Once he's up, he makes a comment about how he regrets coming into space with us, then walks out the door. I follow close behind him, and though I'm incredibly tired, I'm grinning like an idiot in love... which is actually exactly what I am. God, I hate him so much. We arrive at the bride just before we land on a planet called Holivia. Everyone else is already there. Lance is sure to make it known that no one is allowed to talk too loudly or he will shoot them with his bayard; he only got 10 minutes of sleep. Hunk shoots me a glare. I presume it's because I made him come to that meeting last night. Damn. It's like 4:56 AM and no one slept for very long. Somehow, Allura and Coran are as peppy as ever. Lance and I drag our feet to our seats, set up our drones, and start to guard the perimeter of the castle, just in case. We land on the planet, and the door opens to reveal two huge surprises waiting for us. Matt Holt, and...

"Shiro?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:   
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	6. The Clone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " I slip into unconsiousness as I fall to the floor, the only sound I hear is Lance's sobs. Maybe he won't leave me. Maybe I'll have to leave him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this was supposed to be a little Keith angst fic with supportive!Lance but it turned out to be so much more. When I'm finished with the whole thing I definitely will come back and lengthen things FYI.

_We land on the planet and the door opens to reveal two huge surprises waiting for us. Matt Holt, and..._

_"Shiro?"_

"MATT!" Pidge screams, tears immediately poring down her face. Every person in the castle cringes at the sudden loud noise ripping its way through the air. "Katie?" Matt whispers, eyes wide with confusion. He starts to say something, but is interrupted by Pidge flying toward him, arms wrapping around him as soon as they meet. Her face, which is leaking tears, presses against his chest. "M-Matt!" She sobs into his shirt. I'd love to stay and watch the reunion, but I am entirely pissed at the person who is standing next to me. "I KNEW IT!" I shout at the top of my lungs, wheeling around to face him. My face turns bright red as he steps backward, fear obvious on his face. "YOU FUCKING FAKE! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG! NONE OF YOU BELIEVED ME!" I turn to face the others, pointing an accusing finger at them. Everyone stares at me, pure horror written all over their faces. "Shiro" opens his mouth, only the voice isn't his. The tone is completely robotic. "Project Kuron failed. Shutting down." The real Shiro watches all of this, confused and horrified. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE SHUT DOWN! DOME BACK OUT HERE AND TAKE US ON!" I shout, punching the flesh of this "Kuron." As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret ever saying them. Kuro comes back, an evil glint in his eye. There are many shouting warnings. I have only a second to react but I'm not fast enough. Kuro's metal hand is glowing purple, and in a split second, I can feel it sitting in between my ribs. I'm choking on blood, which erupts out of my mouth. Horrible pain encases my entire body. I slip into unconsiousness as I fall to the floor, the only sound I hear is Lance's sobs. Maybe he won't leave me. Maybe I'll have to leave him.

-(Lance POV)-

Keith is yelling. I can tell he's really mad. I'm mad too, but when I'm watching him dangling lifelessly, Shiro's glowing galra hand stuck through his stomach, well, I'm more than mad. So many emotions overcome me at once. He falls to the ground. A choking sound rips its way out of my throat and lingers in the air. "KEITH!" I scream, my eyes leaking profusely. The team seems off with the... situation of Keith, but they spring into battle nonetheless, a new anger flooding their senses. I run to Keith's side, where he's bleeding... oh shit that's a lot of blood. I catch the eye of Coran, who runs off toward the medical bay to ready a healing pod. It can't be too late. I carry him, his suit even redder than usual. His face is against my arm, his hands clutching his wound subconsciously. He stirs, only to cough up more red, then, he stops moving entirely. By now, I'm holding him close to my chest, shushing him soothingly in between my shaky breaths and sobs.

We enter the medical bay, both of us a complete wreck. Coran is ready and waiting to help him into a pod. Keith has started to get cold, his breathing is shallow and ragged. He's still alive, though. Once he's in the pod, it shuts and locks, starting the healing process immediately. "He's going to be in there for a long while," Coran says, frowning sadly, "You were in the pod for a whole movement before you were done healing. Even with your semi-mild injuries, it took a while. Keith has been stabbed in the stomach, so it will have to be a pheob or two before he's done." I nod along, pretending to listen. In reality, I'm thinking about two things. First, I'm worrying about Keith. Second, I'm wondering how things were going with the battle on the entry deck. Once Coran is finished speaking, I have to make a huge decision. I turn to look at Keith one more time. He looks so uncomfortable. I have to join the battle, though. "Bye, Coran, thank you so much!" I yell behind me as I jog out of the door. I have to catch "Kuro" by surprise. Panting, I jump to open a vent. Once it's open, I get a running start and... Three. Two. One. Jump. I'm scrambling up the wall, grabbing the vent with my blood-covered hands. I fail at trying to pull myself in, but determination courses through my veins. I run again, this time from farther away, and this time, I am able to hold onto the vent and walk my legs up the wall, then awkwardly slide into the passageway. My thoughts are plauged by horrible thoughts as I crawl through the cramped space. The sounds of fighting become louder in one big crescendo as I near the entry deck, guessing the directions. I look below me, and see flashes of random colors as my teammates arrack Kuro. Silently, I pull the grate off of the vent, then I aim my bayard, pointing it out of the vent. It goes unnoticed. Using the scope to survey the situation, my fingers tingle as they run over the trigger. Kuro is standing victoriously, the paladins are on the floor, unconscious. He doesn't know that I'm here, not yet. Shiro groans, stands, and raises his galra arm. The two are evenly matched. Except neither of them know of the sharpshooter lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Kuro just stands there. I aim, ready to fire, but I'm blocked my Shiro. I didn't realize how difficult this would be. There's an opening between the two, but I can't tell who's who. I have to look at how they carry themselves. The sluggish, injured one is Shiro. The one with wide eyes and perfect eyeliner. Target detected. With no hesitation, I squeeze the trigger. The shot skims Kuro's arm, and he turns to loom directly at the barrel of my gun. Shit. "Lance, come down here. Now." Kuro says, motioning for me to come down. If I go down now, I won't have a vantage point like I do now. I won't have time to aim or shoot. I've got to stay up here. Again, I aim for Kuro's head, but he moves before it hits him. Growling, I pull the trigger once again. Shiro had been using me as a distraction to sneak around Kuro, who had left guard down. As Kuro dodges my final attack, Shiro impales him with his Galra arm. With that, I jump down, walk over to Shiro and hug him.

"It's so nice to have you back, Shiro."

"It's nice to be back."

I spend the next few weeks in the med bay with Keith. Sometimes, the others pop in to give me food or to check on Keith. When I fall asleep, Hunk or Coran bring me a blanket. Again and again I tell Keith the story of how Shiro and I saved him, saved the team, saved everyone. I know he can't hear me, but I like to think he's proud of me. At night, all I hear is the soft groan of the healing pod doing its job. Some nights I cry. I sob at Keith and beg him to come back to me. Other nights, I can't sleep. I lay awake, thinking about Keith being nearly killed again and again. It keeps repeating in my mind until it's morning. I've missed training every day, and I've only left the room to cross the hall to the bathroom.

It's late one night when the alarm goes off. I go into full panic mode, jumping up and running toward my lion. Wait. Who's flying whom? Black has Shiro, I have Blue, Hunk and Pidge have Yellow and Green, but who's piloting Red? When I arrive at the bridge, they already have a plan. I'm flying the Red Lion for one last time, and Allura is flying Blue. At least we got  _that_ out of the way, but I can't help but feel like something isn't right. I shake the thoughts away as we fly to meet our opponents.

The Galra have two battle cruisers set to attack. I speed up, blasting the tiny battleships into cosmic dust. "Lance! On your left!" Hunk shouts, but it's too late. Three missles found their target... me. Red shuts down and I pass out.

I wake up in an unfamiliar area. It's a dark grey room with purple... wait. I'm sitting in a Galra ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	7. The Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I turn to find a familiar, tall alien, with glowing yellow eyes.
> 
> 'Shay?'
> 
> 'Lance?'"

_I'm sitting in a Galra ship._

_Shit._

I sit in the room, and while trying to think up an escape plan, I have a major realization. I won't be there for Keith when he has his panic attacks. I won't be there when he wakes up. I won't be there to kiss and hug him and tell him how much I missed him. That's when my real panic starts. It's not when I realize that I'm sitting in an enemy combatant ship, no. It's when I realize that Keith was right. I left him and I don't know how to get back. A scratched, painful cry rips its way out of my throat. The sound reverberates on the metal walls, making someone in the cell next to me punch the wall and tell me to "shut the hell up."

My wailing turns into hyperventilation, and I start to black out, but a touch on my shoulder pulls me out of my attack. I turn to find a familiar, tall alien, with glowing yellow eyes.

"Shay?"

"Lance?"

"What are you doing here?" She asks, obviously concerned. A Galra ship is nowhere for a Paladin of Voltron to be. I tell her everything. I start from when we find Shiro, and how elated we all were to have him back. I tell her about the party, and how Shiro had been acting slightly strange. I talk about the meeting, and Keith's panic attack/mental breakdown afterwards. Then, I tell her about how we find the rebel base and the  _real_ Shiro appears. I tell her tearfully about Keith getting impaled, and I talk in detail about my sprinting through the ship. I cry while I tell her about the end of the battle, and how Shiro and I saved us. I wipe my eyes as I talk about sitting in front of the healing pod for days on end, but having to battle the two Galra cruisers. I tell her about how we were winning, getting ready to form Voltron as I get hit by three incoming missles. I tell her that I don't really know what happened after that, but I woke up here. She comforts me, and I spill everything. I ask her questions she wouldn't know the answers to. She's supportive and consoling through the whole thing.

Once I'm finished with my tangent, I ask her what made her get captured. She lets out a shaky sigh before starting.

-Shay POV (flashback to "Re-Birth")-

The regeneration of our Balmera was a beautiful sight. Not only that, but my generation had never been above ground before. Only my grandmother was old enough to remember the outside world, and even then, she wouldn't tell us. So the beauty of the healing ceremony, plus the majesty of the cloudy, blue sky was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Of course, Princess Allura had to give energy to our entire planet, so when she collapsed, it was not a surprise. I rushed over to her side nonetheless, because it must've taken all of her life force to give us our home back. Shiro carried her back to the ship, where he also decided to rest up from the huge battle. Lance went next, claiming he needed some beauty sleep. After Lance was Pidge. I don't think they actually went in to go to sleep, though, they probably went to do something techy. Keith stayed out for as long as he could, and I felt like he did a good job. Hunk later explained to me that Keith had major social anxiety and had walls up. Coran spent all of his time talking to my people, so Hunk found a moment to drag me away.

We reached a spot where we sat underneath a crystal that was tilted slightly so it gave off some shade. Hunk took my hand in his and told me that he liked me. I told him I liked him too, of course I would, he just saved my planet, but he said that I didn't understand. I turned to look at him, confused. He dropped my hand and instead grabbed my face, pressing his lips to mine.  _oh, that's what he meant._ Before I knew it, I was kissing back. We each conveyed the love that we had for each other, until my mother walked by. "Shay! What are you doi- oh. Hello, Hunk. It's nice seeing you again." "Oh, hi, Mrs. Shay's mom, uh, likewise," he answered, his face bright red. With that, he looked at me, stood up, muttered a "See ya around, Shay," before walking away. "He's quite a catch, keep him," my mom said, turning away. I felt a blush creep to my cheeks, and I sat there, grinning like a lovesick idiot.

While Princess Allura was asleep, my people decided to host a celebration in honor of the Paladins and the Princess. They saved and healed our planet, and we needed an excuse to throw a party anyway. I was in charge of the music, Rax was on the decorations with my dad, Grandma did the cooking, and Mom got all of the tables and things we needed. It was a put together quickly, but it was a fun party. We didn't know when the princess was going to wake up, so we were all ready to spring into action as soon as the news was delivered. That's exactly what we did. Hunk came running towards me one day, panting and out of breath. I bit back a giggle. He told me that Allura was awake, and so I swiftly used the Balmera to carry the message to my family, whom all jumped up and started gathering the supplies.

That evening, the paladins and the Alteans came out of the castle in their casual clothes, letting my people gather around them. I ushered my family to the front, where we first addressed the group of rebels, then the whole village. "We thank you for you invitation, and though we don't know much about Balmeran customs, I do know that we are going to have a splendid time," said Allura, holding her hands up in a very diplomatic way. This commenced the celebration. My grandmother, though many decapheobs old, does know her way around modern snacks and drinks. Somehow, she got her hands on some ancient alcohol that was banned by the Galra. Seeing as it was only a few days after we had been freed, the only way she could've had that is if she had smuggled it in from somewhere. Anyway, everyone got a taste of the alcohol, and we danced until the morning sun rose.

By the time mid-morning came, the rebels had to leave. It was a very sad occasion, one in which I cried, because I didn't want Hunk -or any of the paladins- to leave so soon. Unfortunately, that's what had to be. As soon as they left, I collapsed on the ground in a depressed heap. Only about 30 ticks later, though an entire fleet of battle cruisers appeared out of nowhere. Apparently they had been waiting for Voltron to leave. They re-enslaved my people and started to imprison my family, but I came out and told them it was only me that went with the paladins. I took all the blame for all of my people, and I was captured, brought into a galra ship, and tortured. I was then thrown into a cell where I'd spend my lonesome nights crying, missing my family. Then, one day, another figure was tossed in with me. I kept my distance to see what this alien was going to do. He screamed, a horrible lonely, sad scream. I had to know who it was. It was Lance.

-Hunk POV-

My best buddy is gone. Vanished. While I wasn't looking, he got sucked up into the ship. Now he's being held captive, being tortured, maybe even dead. Keith is almost ready to come out of the pod, and when Lance isn't here, he's gonna have a cow. Kaltenecker, to be exact. Ok but for real, he's gonna completely flip. Lance is his only voice of reason, and he could do some  _bad things_ if Lance isn't here. We've gotta get my best friend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	8. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'Shit. What are we gonna do about that?' Pidge exclaims.
> 
> 'Pidge. Language.'
> 
> 'English motherfucker, do you speak it?!'
> 
> 'Pidge seriously we're about to die. WHY ARE YOU QUOTING THINGS NOW?!'"

**Chapter 8 - The Escape**

 

-Hunk POV-

It's been a week since we lost Lance. He could be dead. No, no, no, he's not dead. He can't be. Coran says that Keith is coming out in two days, so our mission has to be a go. I run towards the hangar, eager to get my best bro back. "Everyone ready?" Shiro calls through the com. "Ready," me and Pidge answer. This might not go well with just the three of us, but it's worth a shot. For Lance, for Keith. For Voltron. For the Universe! Before I know it, we're flying in a diagonal line. It should be a V, but, well, we are missing two paladins. "Uh, guys?" Coran's voice whispers through my helmet, "we have a bit of a problem." By now, his face had popped up on my screen, and worried look enveloping his face. "Where is he?" Says a voice that is too familiar and too heartbreaking. Keith pushes past Coran, staring up at his screen, searching for Lance's video feed... the feed that wasn't there. "Where is Lance?" He asks worriedly. I feel my face pale and my stomach churn. Pidge and Shiro's faces couldn't be much better. Shiro is the first to speak. "Keith, go get some rest, or train, or something. Lance is... preoccupied right now. He'll be back soon." Keith doesn't look convinced. "Guys! You might wanna see this!" Pidge calls out. I pull my eyes away from the screen where my teammates are bickering, and see a huge ship, wait, no, three huge ships circling a planet. It must be Lotor.

"Keith, listen, buddy. We gotta go. Lance will be back soon, I promise." The last thing I see on my screen is Keith's angry face, and the last thing I hear is the slamming of a door, then a scream of rage. It hurts me to know that Keith has to go through that. I mean, he just woke up from getting a stab wound, and I'm sure he was hoping for cuddles from Lance or something, but now that Lance is gone... I need to focus on the mission. Coran tells us that they found the battle cruiser. I see it too, when he sends the coordinates to us. It's moving away quickly, as if the pilot knows that we're coming after it.

Once we reach the ship, we enitiate the plan. Pidge turns on her cloaking and sneaks up to the ship, just like when we were trying to get the red lion for the first time. She cuts an opening, then Shiro sneaks in, followed shortly by the Green Paladin. Pidge tells me that they're in safe and to initiate the next part of the plan. Before we left the ship, our youngest paladin had showed me how to hack into the Galra ship with ease, so I execute the hacking. As soon as I get a confirmation that I had access, I ask Pidge for the next directions. "Tap into the cameras and tell me if we're clear. We need directions." I open up the cameras to find my two teammates waiting for instructions. "You're clear. Go down this hall, then make a right. At the end of that hall there are two sentries," I tell them, my eyes scanning the screen. I was never excelled in tech, but thanks to Pidge, I've learned a lot. I watch the pair run down the cold, metal hallway, then stop, peeking out from behind the wall. "You're good, go ahead. It looks like after this hallway, take two lefts and you should be there," I say, getting ready to defend my friends in case they need it. "Thanks, Hunk. Let us know if there are sentries," Shiro says in between breaths of air. "There are some on your right coming up here."

The pair get to the prison sector with little difficulty, but they stop one hallway away. "Hunk, what's going on in there?" Shiro asks. "Ummm, there's a sleeping sentry, two at the enterance, and - one, two, three - four in the office. That's it, though. Lance is in the 4th cell on the left, looks like. Good luck, tell me if you need anything." I see Shiro nod at Pidge, and the duo sneaks up to the office, where Shiro slices through the wall with his arm and Pidge disables the sentries. "Hunk, open the door," Pidge says, bayard at the ready. With a little complication, I open the door to the prison ward, where there are thousands of cells holding millions of prisoners. I hear grunting through the comm, then Pidge asking if Shiro is okay. He must be having flashbacks.

"Shiro, we need to get Lance and go NOW."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hunk, where is Lance, again?"

"4th cell on the left."

"Thanks."

The duo round the corner to find Lance, who's peeking out from the glassy presumably to see what's going on. There's another figure inside with him, though the camera doesn't zoom in enough to show me who. Pidge skids to a stop outside the cell, followed by Shiro, who's hand is glowing purple. He puts his hand on the handprint, which in turn opens the glass holding Lance. The next words that I hear leave me speechless. "Lance, Shay, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Shay. Shay is there, with them? She was trapped? "Wait. SHAY?" I practically yell through the comm. "Don't worry, Hunk. She's fine. Lets go, they've been informed that we're here. We need to go," Shiro assures me, then I see the four figures running from the cold cell towards the exit point, where the Green Lion is parked and waiting.

"Three sentries coming down on the right. Five on the left. Also, uh, what about Lance's armor and bayard? What are we gonna do about that?" I ask, puzzled.

"Shit. What are we gonna do about that?" Pidge exclaims.

"Pidge. Language."

"English motherfucker, do you speak it?!"

"Pidge seriously we're about to die. WHY ARE YOU QUOTING THINGS NOW?!" I hear Lance screeching from behind Pidge. Honestly, I'd laugh if it weren't a life or death situation.

**_Incoming call: Keith_ **

Is flashing in front of the screen. "You're on your own guys. I gotta deal with this," I inform the others, the with a lot of hesitation, I press accept. "Hunk, where the hell are you?" Keith asks, rage contorting his face. "Uh, hard to tell. I'm in space somewhere," I say, trying to be as friendly as possible. "Hunk, I swear to god if you don't tell me where you are right now I will make you regret your entire existence. Where are you? Where is Lance?" Midway through speaking, he takes a fake sugary-sweet tone. "Listen, Keith. Shit. I gotta go, see you man!" "No don't yo-" I press the 'end' button before he can say anything else, then I let out a sigh of relief... the relief doesn't last long at all. On screen, the four are surrounded by soldiers, who are firing like crazy. "HUNK!" I finally hear through my comm. "Sorry, Pidge. What do you need?" I ask, though I know what is needed. "I need you to shut down the power for this sector. I'm going to list the code very carefully so listen closely. Are you ready?"

(Keith POV)

How the hell does this work? Lance tells me that he'll never leave, but when I wake up from being in a coma for a month and a half, he and the rest of the team are gone on some "secret mission" bullshit? No. Unbelievable. I've tried video calling everyone, but only Hunk picked up, and, well, he was no help. My lion is gone, only Blue is left in her hangar, and Allura is being the least helpful person in the universe right now. Coran refuses to say anything, and even the mice are making things difficult. My anger starts to subside, leaving fear. What is this "secret mission" that no one is telling me about? What if Lance got killed? What if he ran away? I know in my gut that it has something to do with my boyfriend but I don't know what. My heart starts to race, panic enveloping my body. My breathing gets faster as I try to put some oxygen in my ever-shriveling lungs. My efforts are in vain. I close my eyes and hope that it all goes away, but when I open them, I'm lying on the floor, feeling hot but shivering. I'm unaware of the presence in the room, only the fact that Lance isn't here. This is when I need him, and he's not here. What if he died? What if he never comes back to me? What if I'm stuck in eternal agony knowing that he won't be back when I wake up in a cold sweat at 4 in the morning? My shaking worsens as my thoughts race, diving deeper and deeper into my darkest fears and worries.

_He's not coming back._

I repeat those four words over and over to myself like a mantra, like it's going to be reverse physicology. Like it's going to bring him back. But I know better than that. He's not coming back. Before I know it, my entire body is encased in sweat, tears streaming down my face more forcefully than ever. My vision goes black at the edges at the lack of oxygen filling my lungs and the pounding in my brain. My brain. The source of my thoughts, good and bad. It's my brain's fault for making me like this. My brain made me love Lance in the first place, my brain made me have anxiety. It's all up there. I can't stop. Stop what? What do I need to stop? Stop loving? Stop thinking? Stop breathing. My breath quickens even more. My vision goes entirely black and my brain stops.

When I wake up, I'm laying in my bed. My pillow is wet from tears and my body is cold, despite being covered in blankets. I start to stand up but I'm stopped by the pounding in my head and my complete exhaustion. Okay, so I'm not getting up, great. I decide to take a nap, maybe it'll clear my head. With no hesitation, I roll over and fall asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one chapter left!!!
> 
> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


	9. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I wake up to people yelling in my ear. Sure, it's annoying, but once I process the words that they're saying, I'm sitting bolt upright. 'Keith! Keith, wake up, Lance is back!' Hunk's voice booms the loudest. I peel my eyes open to find my boyfriend sitting at the edge of my bed, tears running freely down his face. 'You're back, you're home, you're here,' I sob, clutching his shaking body onto mine. 'I'm here.' There we lay, sobbing into each other's shoulders, thankful to have the other one there."

I wake up to people yelling in my ear. Sure, it's annoying, but once I process the words that they're saying, I'm sitting bolt upright. "Keith! Keith, wake up, Lance is back!" Hunk's voice booms the loudest. I peel my eyes open to find my boyfriend sitting at the edge of my bed, tears running freely down his face. "You're back, you're home, you're here," I sob, clutching his shaking body onto mine. "I'm here." There we lay, sobbing into each other's shoulders, thankful to have the other one there.

-1 year later-

"Keith, do you want to go on a space date like we used to?" Lance asks me, holding me close as we lay in our bed. The clock reads 3:27 AM, but Allura had given us a well-deserved break for a week's time. "Right now?" I answer, my eyes, which were once drooping are wide awake. I feel him nod against my back, and with that, I roll away from his arms, off the bed, hitting the ground with a loud  _thunk._ "I take that as a yes," he says, giggling.

The two of us sneak off to the blue lion, where Lance is taking us to go sit out in space, the stars surrounding us. When we arrive, Lance helps me up onto the roof of Blue, where he climbed up next. I sit on his lap, curling into his chest. He plays with my hair, whispering "I love you"s into my ears. He cuddles me close, peppering kisses on my face.

We stay like that for what feels like hours. "We should get back to the castle," I say, starting to stand up. "Wait. First, i have a question," He answered, his face turning immediately red. I noticed his hands shaking, as he reached behind him. He kneeled. "Keith Kogane, we have been through so much together. The self-proclaimed rivalry was just to cover up that i liked you, a lot. Then, we got sucked into this war and became child soldiers and it was stressful. But no matter what, we were here for each other, we still are. You and I have a close bond, something I realized as soon as you cradled me in your arms. I learned that I loved you. I learned that you loved me too. Even though we were fighting for our lives every second of every day, we still found time for each other. Time to love, time to smile, time to laugh. Time to cry. We've been with each other at our lowest moments, at our highest, too. You are the most wonderful man, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I'm never going to leave your side. I love you so much. Keith Kogane, once we get back to earth, will you marry me?"

Tears roll down my cheeks as he offers a ring to me. "What kind of question is that? Of course you know the answer, yes, a million times, yes," I answer him, forcing him to stand and enveloping him in a hug. When we part, he pulls me close again, this time pressing our lips together. His love and passion fills me, making me melt at his touch. "I love you so much," I say, embracing him again.

-3 years later-

The Galra had been defeated, Zarkon killed. The team are back on Earth, with Allura and Coran living with Shiro. Matt and Pidge go back to their family with Sam. Hunk goes home to Hawaii with his moms, while Lance and I go to live in apartment only a block away from his family's house. I meet his parents. He introduces me as his fiancé, which makes me the happiest man in the world. We tell our tales to his neices and nephews, who are amazed by the wonders of Voltron. We are home, on Earth, for the first time in so long.

-A year later-

I am dressed in a tuxedo, waiting for the love of my life to walk down the aisle. Hunk is here with his moms, the Holts are here, the Shiroganes in addition to Coran, Lance's whole family, and some of our friends from the Garrison. Tears fill my eyes as the traditional song plays, signaling for Lance to walk into the hall with his mother. For the split second that I c- can take my eyes off him, I look toward our friends. Hunk is a sobbing mess, Pidge is fanning her eyes, Shiro trying his hardest to hold back tears, and Allura and Coran are both crying openly. I smile even wider, if that's even possible, and turn back to my love. He walks up to me, and taking my hands in his, we begin the ceremony.

-3 months later-

"Keith, baby, I need to talk to you," Lance calls through our shared apartment. For some reason, that statement always fills me with anxiety. We've only been married for 3 months, barely long enough to do anything. My life feels as though it's slipping out from under me, flying by. I'm visibly shaking as I sit down at our table, across from my husband. "Remember when we would lay in bed at night in space, and I'd be distracting you from your anxiety by talking about something that is admittedly even more anxiety filling? I'd talk about my future. We'd talk about our future together. I distinctly remember something you said. You wanted to be a dad, because you wanted to show the world that the half-alien orphan can raise a kid better than anyone else. I've been thinking about it, and... I want to adopt." Tears are swimming in his eyes, making his ocean eyes seem even deeper. My jaw hits the floor, I just sit there aghast. "I do too," I finally squeak out, containing myself for about 0.2 seconds before bursting into tears.

Lance and I end up cuddling on the nearest seat that can fit us, the love seat. I hold him close as we talk about our plans for children. Our main problem is that we'd have to give up regularly scheduled dates and sex, but it's fine, our child can stay with grandma McClain for a weekend. "Are we going to do it?" I ask hopefully, only to be answered with a smile and a kiss.

-6 months later-

We got the email earlier this month. We're adopting a 3 month old baby girl named Camillia. After receiving the notification, we alerted our families, and soon after, we had 20 people helping us pick out paint colors and baby furniture. The room was ready in absolutely no time flat. The walls are pastel yellow with a white crib against the wall. Toys are scattered here and there, most of them sitting atop the white dresser pushed flush against the wall. The floor is a dark wood covered by a multicolored rug. As soon as it's finished and the others leave, with congratulations flowing out of their mouths like a bar of soap in wet hands. The two of us stand at the door between our room and the nursery and look inside, proud that our daughter is going to get to live here with us. Lance wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer, and I let him, resting my chin on his shoulder. "We're going to be dads very soon, my love," I say confirming that, yes, this is really happening.

A few weeks later, we go to pick Camillia up from the adoption organization. Tears spring to my eyes as soon as we get in the car. I just sit there for a moment, taking in the fact that after today, we're going to have a little girl to call our own. "You ready?" I ask, figuring that my husband is thinking the same things. He nods in affirmation and I turn the key in the ignition.

"Welcome home, Camillia!" I playfully shout at the little girl in Lance's arms. The door had been pushed wide open by my foot, allowing my daughter to see inside. The two of us enthusiastically show her every room, explaining to her what the purpose is. She coos along with us, getting slightly distracted by the stuffed rabbit on her bed. It was Lance's when he was a child. His aunt made it for him just after he was born, and so he passed it along to Camillia. It was quite hard for him to give it up, it means so much to him. I set our little girl in her crib where she picks up the rabbit doll and giggles at it, shaking it around. Then, I turn to my husband and peck him on the lips. "You're going to be such a good dad," He tells me, running his fingers through my hair. "You are too," I answer with a content sigh.

-5 years later-

"Camilla, come one, honey, we're gonna be late!" Lance calls upstairs. He and I are standing at the door of our house, waiting for our 5 year old daughter to come down the stairs. It's her first day of kindergarten. Where has the time gone? Lance and I have been married for 6 years, and we've had Camillia for 5. Since her adoption, we moved to a bigger house so that we could get a dog. "I'm coming, papa!" She yells back. I hear her little pitter patter footsteps and her jumping down the stairs. "Be careful, you don't want to get hurt on your big day," I warn her, smoothing my hair down. "It's okay, daddy. I'm a big girl now, I can do it!"

Our little family gets into the car and Lance drives the route to the local elementary school. "Will you come inside with me?" Camillia asks nervously, making me chuckle. "Of course, honey, anything for you," Lance says, glancing at her through the rear view mirror. The three of us arrive and I help Camillia out of the car, handing her her backpack. "Thank you, daddy!" She exclaims, running off toward the main building. We hold her hands and walk her into her classroom, where her teacher and several students are already waiting. "Okay, baby, you've gotta go to class now, give us hugs and kisses," I say, kneeling down to her height. She pecked us both and hugged us tight, then skipped off to make new friends.

I still have nightmares sometimes. I still have the same one occasionally, but I know that now, I have my own little family that I have to protect. Anything that's gonna try and take my family away can answer to me. My little family may be small and broken at times, but we love each other unconditionally. That's what's important. I look away from the steering wheel for a moment to stare at my husband. We've been through so much together and we have a bond that cannot be broken. He's my everything. I know he won't leave me. I've overcome my worst nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg! It's over! Thank you so much for sticking with me through the whole thing! Now that it's over, you should head on over to my tumblr to request a thing. O.O
> 
> Yell at me:  
> Twitter: @unoriginal_k  
> Tumblr: @klanceisunoriginal


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